Raccoon

Big SOB has been terrorizing household intermittently for ages. Comes in through cat door; scarfs up cat food; messes his water dish. We blocked up cat door; cat has to use window giving on dark yard; have it open minimum, but anxious-making.
Found raccoon in kitchen at night. BIG! Rushed out OPEN back door, brushing past my legs; no injury fortunately. So can't leave computer room door open for air at night.
OP has volunteered to kill it w/blow to head, but he doesn't realize how big and fierce they are. Also, first have to catch it!!
Point is: Why are RACCOONS -- biggest pest around -- "protected" !!!? I asked
Animal Shelter for help -- send someone to trap him, or lend me a cage. They said haven't done this for years. Gave me info about "protected" status. I'M THE ONE WHO NEEDS PROTECTION!
Not ept enough to construct own cage, though have plans/descriptions. Cost of materials - have to be VERY strong. Ever see the CLAWS on those critters!
Choices: Rent a cage. Buy a cage. Put up with cat door problem. Other?
*******SPRAY SOMETHING ON STEPS THAT THEY ARE SAID TO AVOID. Anybody know a product?******
OK, end sob story. Excuse venting.
HB

This is sometimes suggested, but I think it's cruel to keep a creature conf
ined in the house 24/7. Never have done this during a lifetime of cats. Thi
s one in particular has a very independent personality. We tried keeping h
im in when he was little, but it never worked.
No, I don't want to wreck his life and make myself crazy because of raccoon
!
HB

True. Also, I know from experience with feral cats in my neighborhood,
raccoons can and will kill cats and eat them. If you let your cat out, it
may never come back. I have a 13 year old cat that lived feral for 1 1/2
years before we adopted it. It refuses to go out, if you open the door when
it is near, it will move away from the door to avoid the open. It knows
where it wants to be, queen of the household and all it can see through the
window.

nfined in the house 24/7. Never have done this during a lifetime of cats. T
his one in particular has a very independent personality. We tried keeping
him in when he was little, but it never worked.

on!

Our house cat is basically an indoor creature. She'll occasionally sneak ou
tside if we're not watching the door, but she'll go out about 15-20 feet, s
it there for 5-10 minutes, then run back inside when she has a chance.
Vis-à-vis raccoons, I shoot the bastards on sight, although I rarely get
a chance to see them.
Paul

e-large-animal-trap-90218.html
Thanks. Someone from another NG mentioned them & I went there, but with s&
H it comes to over $40.0. Have checked many other sources. If I have to b
uy large trap, I guess I will, but...
THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THEY CAN'T STAND THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY
SPRAYING BEFORE SPENDING ALL THAT $$.
I found these on-line. If you used, pls post whether it worked or not. Tha
nks!
Spicy Deterrent
Many reviews will tell you that there is no such thing as a real raccoon re
pellent. If you've tried it all from sounds to other tactics, then you migh
t as well try this one too. All you need is some really spicy sauce (tabasc
o or chilly), a gallon of water, and some regular detergent soap. Mix all t
he ingredients to prepare a spray. Put it in a spray can and spray it all a
round your garden. They cannot stand the smell, so they won't even get past
the plants.
Hot Pepper Repellent
Here is another natural repellent that you can try out. Get yourself a chop
ped Jalapeño pepper, a chopped onion (yellow), and a tbsp. of cayenne pep
per. Add these three to 8 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it coo
ls down, strain the liquid to remove the chunks of the peppers. Fill it in
a spray can and spray away.
Granular Repellent
There are quite a few granular raccoon repellents available at pest-control
outlets, which just have to be dusted around the area. They are made of su
bstances like ammonia or predator urine. Raccoons sense the presence of the
ir predators through the scent of the urine. And so, when they smell the gr
anules, they mistake it for the predator and steer clear of that area.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/raccoon-repellent.html
HB

About twenty years ago, a friend of my Dad's got
tired of the squirrel in his bird feeder, so he
shot the squirrel. (Military vet, out in the
country, good backstop, nice and safe). Next
day he shot the next squirrel. And he gave up
after 300 squirrels.
Whatever you do to shoot, trap, scare, spray, or
motivate the raccoon. Please plan to do it every
day, forever.

n repellent. If you've tried it all from sounds to other tactics, then you
might as well try this one too. All you need is some really spicy sauce (ta
basco or chilly), a gallon of water, and some regular detergent soap. Mix a
ll the ingredients to prepare a spray. Put it in a spray can and spray it a
ll around your garden. They cannot stand the smell, so they won't even get
past the plants.

chopped Jalape�o pepper, a chopped onion (yellow), and a tbsp. of c
ayenne pepper. Add these three to 8 cups of water and bring it to a boil. O
nce it cools down, strain the liquid to remove the chunks of the peppers. F
ill it in a spray can and spray away.

trol outlets, which just have to be dusted around the area. They are made o
f substances like ammonia or predator urine. Raccoons sense the presence of
their predators through the scent of the urine. And so, when they smell th
e granules, they mistake it for the predator and steer clear of that area.

tml

We had a squirrel plague some years back during an extended drought. We tra
pped with Have-a-heart traps and carried over 70 off across the river. One
day I was in a bad mood so I blew one away with the shotgun; didn't see ano
ther squirrel for two years.
Paul

an extended drought. We trapped with Have-a-heart
traps and carried over 70 off across the river.
One day I was in a bad mood so I blew one away
with the shotgun; didn't see another squirrel
for two years.

I would probably rent a friend's big dog for a week or so.
Use a "dog anchor", which is a big screw that screws into the ground to
keep the dog in your yard, but on a leash long enough that he can wander
wherever he/she wants, including to the back door. That will keep your
cat inside and the raccoon outside.
Once the raccoon realizes that the cat's food and water is now protected
by a big dog, he'll look for an easier meal somewhere else, and that
shouldn't take longer than a week or so.
Feed the dog hamburger, and you'll both be happy with the arrangement.

I had one snatch our cats out the window. Likely killed one of them but
we'll never be sure. I hired a trapper. But unlike Billy The Exterminator,
here, they kill them. Trapper said it was the most viscous animal he'd ever
seen. I would never have a cat door here.

I'm remembering the story of the city on the west
side of the river, that had a major raccoon problem.
So they hired a firm to take care of it. They trapped
several thousand racoons, and moved them to the east
side of the river.
The next year, the city on the east side of the river
called the same trapping firm. They had a major raccoon
problem.

1. Shoot
2. Shovel
3. Shut up
Where most people go wrong is step 3.
By the way, you know how annoyed you are that a nasty old raccoon dares tre
spass in your yard? We're just as annoyed you let your nasty old cat wande
r into our yard. It may be cute to you, but we didn't sign up to take care
of your cat and repair the damage it does.

We have a doggie door , and we live out in the woods ... We had a problem
with 'coons eating the bird food , they climbed up that angle iron post like
it was a highway . Had <might still have it> video of the post shaking
around because there was a 'coon on top , the dog is wandering around
sniffing the ground , completely oblivious to the raccoon just 4 feet above
her . I suspect a younger dog might have tripped to the situation Goldie is
pretty old for her breed .

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